Fraction computing mechanism for



' Jan. 26, 1943. w. A. ANDERSON 2,309,292

FRACTION COMPUTING MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES Filed June 25, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Hiking 2 sus- TRAcT TOTAL rpm Qt INVENTOR WALTER Afi/VDERJO/V BY [W4 ATTORNEY Jan. 26, 1943. w. A. ANDERSON 2,309,292

FRACTION COMPUTING MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES Filed June 25, 1937 5 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR WALTER/4 ANDERSON BY; ATTORN EY Jan. 26, 1943. w. A. ANDERSON 2,309,292

FRACTION COMPUTING MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES Filed June 25, 1937 5 Shee ts-Sheet 5 INVENTOR WALTER/1.ANDER50N ATTO R N EY Jan. 26, 1943. w. A. ANDERSON FRACTION COMPUTING MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES Filed June 25, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON ATTORNEY Jan. 26, 1943. w. A. ANDERSON 2,309,292

FRACTION COMPUTING MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES Filed June 25, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR W4LTER A. A/VDfRSO/V ATTORN EY Patented Jan. 26, .1943

FRACTION COMPUTING MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES Walter Anderson, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 25, 1937, Serial No. 150,361

2 Claims.

This invention relates to computing machines, and more particularly to a device for adding or subtracting fractional amounts therein.

Modern merchandising demands that many articles of trade be sold at extremely close margins of profit, and frequently at a figure involving fractions of cents.

The present invention has for one of its objects to provide a calculating machine capable of computing and totaling sales of the character above described.

Another object of the invention is to incorporate the fractional totalizing means with the whole number totalizing mechanism in a manner whereby to retain the normal operation of the fugitive unit mechanism, commonly used in machines of this class, without the addition of any new parts.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims, and a preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a computing machine of the type to which my fractional mechanism may be adapted,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the keyboard thereof,

Figure 8 is a right side elevation of the fraction indexing and registering mechanism, the parts being shown in home position at the end of an item entering operation in which the cent key was depressed,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the position of the parts with the cent key depressed,

Figure 4a is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the parts in their home positions following a blank cycle or a total taking cycle,

Figures 5 and 5a are perspective views of the parts shown in Figures 3 and 4,

Figure 6 is a right side elevation of the adding and subtracting racks and the fugitive unit mechanism,

Figure 7 is a fragmental perspective view showing one side of the fugitive unit mechanism,

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view of parts of the totalizer, and

Figure 9 shows a portion of a tally strip and illustrates the type of work accomplished by the machine.

The invention is herein exemplified in connection with mechanism of the general character disclosed in the United States Reissue Patent No. 14,237 issued to Gustaf D. Sundstrand, United States Patents Nos. 1,583,102, 1,965,611, and 2,004,495 issued to Oscar J. Sundstrand, and application Serial No. 118,628 of Oscar J. Sundstrand, filed June 26, 1926, and issued as Patent No. 2,088,982.

Reference may be had to the above mentioned patents for an understanding of features not fully illustrated or described herein. It should, however, be understood that the present invention is not limited to machines of the Sundstrand typ In accumulating operations the amount to be listed and accumulated is indexed in the keyboard, and the machine cycled by depressing the motor bar. Stops set by the amount keys arrest the type bars during their upward movement in a position wherein the numeral type corresponding to the amount indexed are caused to print. Adding and subtracting racks carried by the type bars are arranged for coordinate movement therewith.

Prior to the upstroke of the racks in an accumulating cycle, the totalizer is moved to a neutral position intermediate the two sets of racks, and just prior to the downstroke of the racks the totalizer pinions are meshed with whichever set of racks is to be used in the accumulating operation.

In total taking, the totalizer pinions are meshed with the selected set of racks during the upstroke of the latter. Therefore, as the transfer lugs carried by the pinions abut against the underside of their associated transfer pawls, their corresponding type bars are arrested in position for printing the total which has been accumulated in the totalizer.

When the amount subtracted from the totalizer exceeds the amount added and thereby causes a negative total to be present in the totalizer, the customary fugitive unit is added, and if a total should be taken at this time, the subtracting racks instead of the adding racks would be used to return the totalizer wheels to zero. For details of these various operations, reference may be had to the above mentioned patents.

Referring to the drawings (Figures 1 and 2). the reference numeral I indicates the machine generally, having the usual carriage 2 supporting the platen 2a around which the paper is fed, type bars 3, a keyboard 4 having amount keys 5 and a /2" cent key 8, a motor 6, and a motor bar I.

A totalizer shaft is indicated at 9 (Figures 6, 7 and 8), carrying a fractional totalizer pinion I0, mounted directly adjacent and to the right (as viewed from the front of the machine) of the units order pinion a. The pinion of the highest denominational order is indicated at H. It will be understood that any desired number of pinions of intermediate orders may be utilized, all of the pinions being journaled for free rotary movement on the shaft 9 and spaced apart by bushings 12. As is customary in this type of machine, the totalizer shaft9 is mounted for bodily movement forward and rearward of the machine in horizontal slots I3 in side walls l4 and I5 of a totalizer-supporting frame.

Such bodily movement of the totalizer is effective to engage the totalizer pinions with either one of two sets of actuating racks. One set of racks, represented by the rack [5 (Figure 6), is effective to rotate the pinion in a clockwise direction for the accumulation of additive amounts, whereas the second set of actuating racks, represented by the rack I1, is effective to rotate the pinion in a counter-clockwise direction for the accumulation of subtractive amounts.

The racks are connected to type bars 3, an adding and a subtracting rack being associated with each type bar, by pin and slot connections that permit one step of movement of each rack relative to its type bar. The racks are guided for vertical movement in slots 18 (Figure 7), formed on the inwardly facing surfaces of a pair of similar bars [9 (Figure 6), which extend longitudinally of the totalizer and which are supported in the side walls l4 and of the totalizersupporting frame.

Each rack has integrally formed therewith a lug 28 which moves in the vertical plane of its respective bar 18, and is arranged to be arrested thereby to define the extreme downward position of the racks.

Transfer mechanism of any desired form may be employed. In the present disclosure this mechanism includes two rods 2| that are carried in the side walls l4l5 in spaced parallel relation at opposite sides of the two sets of racks, and operativeiy support a plurality of stop pawls 22, one such pawl being provided for each adding and subtracting rack. A stop lug 23 is formed integrally with each of the respective stop pawls in a. position to coact with the lugs 28 on their respective racks to support the latter one step of movement above the bars I9. To the lower end of each stop pawl 22 is pivoted a dog 24, having a tooth engaging the edge of the adjacent bar IS.

The units pinion Illa and each of the intermediate pinions up to and including the pinion ii of the highest order have two diametrically opposed lugs 28 fixed to one side thereof, and which are arranged to disengage the tooth 25 from the bar I9. When an amount registered by a pinion reaches 8, continued rotation of the pinion as its rack descends brings one of the lugs 28 against the upper edge of the end of the dog 24 associated with the next higher order rack, thereby depressing the dog until its tooth 25 is clear of the bar i8, whereupon a spring 21 (assisted by the downward pressure of a spring [5a of the said next higher order rack) moves the dog and pawl 22 away from the higher order rack, the latter then moving down one tooth space where it is stopped by contact of its lug 28 with the bar l8. All of the before-mentioned features are common to the Sundstrand patents and application above mentioned, to which reference may be had for a more detailed description.

Lugs 28, similar in all respects to the lugs 28, are provided on one side of the fractional pinion it), but on every second tooth thereof. These lugs operate in a manner similar to the lugs 28, i. e.; after a total is taken one of the lugs lies immediately under the tooth 25 of the extreme right hand dog 24 (Figure 7). In this position, the next lug 28 lies two steps above the dog 24. Then when is added into the pinion In, this next lug 28 moves adjacent the upper edge of the dog 24, and upon the addition of another the pinion I0 is moved another step. This second step causes the lug to depress the dog 24, and thereby move its associated pawl 22 out from under the lug 20 of the units order rack, whereupon 1 (the total of the two /;;s) is added into the units order pinion as its associated rack descends.

Subsequent addition of another /2 in this pinion will bring another lug 28 into position over the tooth 25 of the dog 24 ready to trip said dog to cause the adding of 1 when the next is added, and so on.

Subtraction of fractional amounts is accornplished in exactly the same manner, the pinions then being in mesh with the racks I1 and the lugs 28 and 28 thereof operating upon their associated subtract transfer pawls as the pinions are rotated in a counter-clockwise direction.

The entry of the in the totalizer is controlled by a key 8 (Figure 5) that has a stem 48 carrying a plate 48 loosely mounted upon a screw 50. An inwardly projecting pin 5|, riveted in the upper end of the plate, bears against the forward edge of stem 48 under the tension of a spring 52 secured at one end to the plate and at its opposite end to a side wall of the keyboard frame. Spring 52 thus normally holds the key elevated. Pin 5,! overlies a forwardly extending latch arm 58 pivoted at 54. Formed integral with the arm 58 is a downwardly extending arm 55. A spring 58 connected to the arm 55 tensions the arm 53 upwardly against the pin 5|. When the key is depressed, as shown in Figure 5, arm 58 is rocked down wardly, and is arranged to be latched in such position by a finger 51 fixed to one end of a rock shaft 58 and adapted to overlie the arm 53. On the other end of the shaft 58 is a finger 58 tensioned rearwardly by a spring 88. The lower end of the finger 58 normally bears against a roller 6| carried by a slide bar 52 moved forwardly during the return stroke of every cycle of the machine. This rocks the shaft 58 and swings finger 51 away from arm 58, allowing it to rise to normal position. (The bar 82 corre sponds to the bar 12 shown in Reissue Patent No. 14,237.) An upwardly extending hook 58 formed integral with arms 53 and 55, engages a pin 84 on the key stem 48 to hold the key depressed when finger 51 moves over arm 53.

Pin 5| extends through a cam slot 85 in a. plate 88 adjacent the latch arm 53. The plate is rigidly secured to one end of a rod 81 suitably journaled in the machine frame. The opposite end of the rod has a depending arm 88 secured thereto. Pivotally connected to the lower end of arm 88 is a link 88, the rear end of which is pivoted to a short link 18 (Figure 50) by a screw 1| passing through a slot 12 in the link. Link 18 is pivoted to an ear 18 formed above the pivots 48 of an extension 14 of a detent 44. The

extension 14 passes through an opening II in side wall H of the totalizer frame. A spring I8 connected at one end to the rear end of link 89 and at its opposite end to the extension 14 normally urges the detent 44 forwardly in a clockwise direction about the pivots 48 so that the projection 41 thereof'rests against the rear edge of the type bar 3 and above the stud 43, as shown in Figure 3.

By these means, depression of the V- key 8 causes pin to cam plate 66 downwardly, rocking rod 61 clockwise, whereupon links 89 and 19 are moved forward, rocking detent 44 counter-clockwise about its pivots 48, to move the detent from the path of stud 43, as shown in Figure 4.

The type bars 3 are guided for vertical movement and are individually raised and lowered by arms 34 (one being shown in Figure 6) carrying headed studs that lie in elongated openings 35 in the type bars. The arms 34 are loosely mounted on a shaft 36. Springs 31, connected to rearwardly extending projections of the arms 34, are arranged to raise the bars, as the machine cycles, by such means as are fully shown and described in the above-mentioned patents and application. The rear ends of the type bars are formed with lugs 38 which pass through vertical slots 39 in a rear guide plate 48 rigidly secured between the side walls I4 and ii of the totalizer frame.

The type bar 3, carrying the A type character 33, is arranged directly adjacent the right side of the units type bar. This bar has an individual stop 4| for arresting the upward movement thereof, the stop being secured by a bolt 42 to guide plate 40.

As indicated in Figure 3, the downwardly extending projection 41 formed on the detent 44 engages the lug 43 as the type bar starts to rise at the beginning of a cycle, and thus prevents this bar from rising beyond its zero position. However, when the key 8 is depressed, detent 44 is swung counterclockwise, as above described, swinging the projection 41 away from the stud 43, so that when the machine is cycled, the fraction bar 3 is permitted to rise until the lug 38 thereof abuts stop 4|. Such ascent of the type bar brings the character 33 into printing position with the platen 2a and raises its racks l6 and I! one tooth space. Hammer 33a is tripped in the usual manner to print the /2 at this point of the cycle, and descent of the type bar during the latter half of the cycle causes the /2 to be accumulated in pinion l0.

As the cycle is completed, shaft 58 is rocked, releasing latch arm 53 and restoring the above described parts to the normal position shown in Figure 3.

The Sundstrand type of.machine is provided with a device commonly known as a spacing stroke latch. The purpose of this device is to require a spacing stroke (blank cycle) before a total can be taken. This device is well known in the art and is clearly shown and described in the previously mentioned patents, particularly Patent No- 1,583,102, hence, only a brief description thereof will be given here. The device comprises a plate 11 (Figure 5) loosely mounted for forward and rearward swinging movement upon screws 18. The forward end of a detent plate 19 (Figure 5a) rests against the rear side of the plate 11. The rear end of the detent I9 is pivotally connected as at 80 to the lower end of a frame 8| pivoted in the machine frame on studs 82 (Figure 3). A pair of springs 83 urge frame 8| clockwise about its pivot 82 and thus holds detent 19 in contact with plate ll. A latch 84 (Figure 5), the front end of which is pulled downwardly by a spring 85, maintains, the plate 11 in either of its two (forward and rear) positions, the spring 85 being suillciently strong to resist springs 83.

Detent 19, in its rear position as shown in Figure 5a, overlies upstanding rods I I9 carried by forwardly extending arms H l pivotally securedto the lower ends of the type bars. When in this position, detent I9 restrains the type bars from movement and thereby prevents the taking of a total. The detent 19 is moved to its rear position by the indexing of an item by the keyboard. This is accomplished by a lever H2 pivoted in the machine frame, and which is operated by the indexing of the first item of an amount. Operation of lever H2 moves plate 11 and in turn detent I9 to the rear. (Lever H2 corresponds to lever 384 in PatentNo. 1,583,102.)

To move the detent plate 19 forwardly from over the upstanding rods H9 to allow the type bars to rise for taking a total, a blank or spacing cycle is taken. During such a cycle a screw H3 secured in a rock arm H4 carried by the main rock shaft H5 strikes an outwardly projecting lug 86 (Figure 5a) formed integral with an arm 81 (Figure 5) pivotally connected at 89 to the plate I1, thus moving the plate 1'! forward and permitting the frame 8| and detent 19 (Figure 5a) to swing forward under tension of springs 83.

In order that the projecting lug 86 shall not release the detent 19 to the action of the springs 83 during the printing of an item, but only during a spacing stroke, the projecting lug 86 is made movable into and out of the path of movement of the screw H3.

To accomplish this, the lower end of the arm 81 is arranged to abut a projection H6 of a slide HI through which the rods H8 are guided. When an item is set up in the keyboard, slide H'I moves toward the right, permitting the arm 81 to swing downwardly under the tension of a spring 98, moving the lug 86 downwardly out of the path of the screw H3. Therefore, when an item is set up, screw H3 will miss lug 86 and allow plate 11 and detent I9 to remain in their rear positions, so that a total may not be taken during the next cycle, whereas if no item is set up, screw H3 strikes lug 86 and moves plate 11 forwardly, allowing detents 19 to move forwardly to permit a total to be taken during the following cycle.

Since accumulation of /2, as well as larger amounts, makes it necessary to move plate 11 to its rear position, the following parts are provided.

A link 9| is pivoted to the downwardly extending arm 55 and, by pin and slot connection 92, to a. depending lug 93 secured to one end of a rock shaft 94 journaled in the machine frame. A depending lug 95, similar to lug 93, is also secured to shaft 94. Pivotally connected to the lower end of lug 95 is a slide 96, guided for forward and rearward movement at its rear end by a pin 91 secured in the machine frame and extending through an elongated opening 98 in said slide. An upstanding lever 99, having a forward projection I00 (Figure 3), is pivotally secured to the rearmost end of slide 96. A strong spring IDI, secured at one end to the lower end of lever 99 and at its other end to the slide 96, tensions the projection I09 upwardly against a pin I02 secured on the slide, thus holding the lever in vertical upright position. A rearwardly projecting lug I03 formed on the upper end of lever 30 lies directly in front of the spacing latch plate 11.

Referring to Figure in, depression of the A key following a spacing stroke or total-taking cycle moves link 3I rearwardly rocking shaft 34 counterclockwise, whereupon slide 33 moves rearwardly and lever 33 thrusts plate 11 into its rear position, spring IOI being superior to springs 33.

It will be noted that when the fractional numeral /2 is indexed alone, i. e., without any other whole numeral, arm 31 remains in its upper position, so that upon cycling the machine, the rock arm I I4 (Figure 5a) moves plate 11 forward. During such a cycle lever 33 gives under the tension of spring IOI and swings forwardly with the plate. Immediately, however, when the rock arm swings back on the second half of the cycle, the plate is thrust back under the pressure exerted by spring IOI upon the lever, thus insuring the necessity of a blank cycle before a total can be taken.

As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5a, the forward end of the short link I is provided with a slot I04 through which passes a screw I secured in the lower end of a depending extension I06 carried by the frame 3I. The upper end of the extension is formed with a curved recess I01 arranged to fit snugly over a rod I03 ex-s tending transversely of said frame. A screw I03 secures the extension to the frame. Hence, as the frame is swung forwardly about the pivot 32, on the spacing stroke cycle just prior to a total taking cycle, extension I00 swings forwardly therewith and in such movement screw I05 takes up the lost motion in slot I04 and moves link I0 forward, slot 12 permitting said link to slide on screw 'II. Forward movement of link I0 rocks detent 44 on its pivots 48, thus moving the projection 41 from above stud 43 and allowing the fractional bar to rise, if necessary, during the total taking cycle to follow.

As before stated, in total taking cycles the totalizer pinions are brought into mesh with the racks before the latter rise. Total tak from the fractional pinion I0 is accomplished in exactly the same manner as with the whole numeral pinions. If has been accumulated in the pinion, one of the lugs 23 thereof lies a distance of one tooth from the under side of the tooth 25 of dog 24. As the type bar 3 rises its associated rack I5 rotates the pinion through the distance of one tooth, whereupon lug 23 contacts the under side of tooth 25 of the dog, arresting the type bar in position to print the V character 33 shown in Figure 9. The pinions are subsequently withdrawn from mesh with the racks just prior to their descent on the latter half of the cycle, thus leaving the pinions at zero.

When taking a total with the pinion I0 standing at zero, one of the lugs 23 lies directly beneath the tooth 25 of the dog 24, hence, the bar 3 can only rise to its zero position, such distance of movement being permitted by the slotted connection of the rack with the type bar. However, since the zero type is omitted from this bar, and since a suitable means (not shown) are preferably provided for suppressing the operation of the hammer 33a when said bar has risen only to its zero position, this latter character is not printed.

In adding and subtracting machines of this type it is customary to use a "fugitive unit" mechanism for use in obtaining true negative totals. Such a mechanism is preferably employed herein, and is illustrated in Figures 3 and 7. This mechanism is similar to that disclosed in the above-mentioned Sundstrand application, and includes the following structure.

A pair of stop pawls 20 (Figure 6) are pivotally mounted upon rods 2I in the vertical planes of lugs 20 of the fraction racks I3 and I]. Stop lugs 30, similar to the lugs 23 on the stop pawls 22, are formed integral with each of the pawls 20 in a position to coact with the lugs 20 on the fractional racks I3 and II to support the latter one step of movement above the bars I9. These pawls 23 are not provided with dogs 24 but are arranged to be actuated by the highest order pinion II as it passes through zero.

To this end, horizontally disposed connecting members 3| are rigidly secured at one end to upwardly extending portions of the pawls 29, and at their opposite ends to arms 32, whichalso are pivotally mounted upon the shaft 2I. The lower ends of the arms 32 have dogs 24 arranged to coact with the lugs 23 of the pinion II. Hence, when the pinion II of highest order passes through zero in either adding or subtracting direction, one of the lugs 23 trips its associated dog 24, thus swinging the arm 32 and pawl 23 away from the bar I3 through the tension of the spring 21. As lug 30 is withdrawn from lug 23 of the fraction rack, the latter descends one tooth space under tension of the spring I30, thus adding or subtracting (depending upon which rack is in mesh with the pinion) the "fugitive unit," which, in the present machine is The operation of the fractional wheel in connection with the overdraft mechanism is as follows. when a positive total has been taken in the totalizer so that the wheels stand at zero in reference to the adding racks I6, one of the transfer lugs 23 on each wheel lies immediately beneath the teeth 25 of the dogs 24 on the right hand side of Figure 6, and the diametrically opposed teeth 23 lie immediately above the teeth 24 on the left hand side of Figure 6. Likewise, one of the teeth 23 on the fractional wheel I0 lies immediately under tooth 25 on its right hand dog 24, the wheel being in a position such as that shown in Figure 6. It will also be observed that the diametrically opposed tooth 23 lies immediately above tooth 25 on the left hand (subtracting) side of Figure 6. If /2 now be subtracted, the last mentioned tooth 23 releases its left hand dog 24 causing the transitional carry, at the end of which the fractional rack I1 is released for an additional step of movement. This additional step moves the tooth 23, above referred to, one tooth space from a position immediately under the tooth 25 on the left side.

Since the totalizer is now overdrafted, a subsequent total taking operation will be executed with the totalizer wheels engaged with the subtract racks II. Since'there is one tooth space between lug 23, above referred to, and lug 25 on the left side of Figure 6, the fractional subtract rack I! will rise one tooth space so as to print the this being the correct overdrafted amount.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is: I

1. In a machine of the class described, an adding and subtracting totalizer having whole number pinions and a fractional pinion, a set of ten whole number amount keys for entering amounts on the whole number pinions, a fractional amount key for entering amounts on the fractional pinion, actuating means for the pinions, means for detaining the actuating means for the whole number pinionsfrom movement past their zero positions, means for detaining the actuating means for the fractional pinion from movement past its zero position, means for automatically withdrawing both detaining means to ineffective positions during an operation in which amount keys are not depressed, means operated by the fractional amount key for withdrawing the second mentioned detaining means, and means operated by the fractional amount key for restoring the first mentioned detaining means to effective position.

2. In a machine of the class described, an adding and subtracting totalizer having a fractional pinion, actuating means for the fractional pinion. means for detaining the actuating means from movement past its zero position, a fractional amount key for withdrawing said detaining means preparatory to a fractional item entering operation, means for automatically withdrawing said detaining means during the latter part of the first cycle following an item entering operation, whole number amount keys, means controlled by the whole number amount keys for rendering the automatic withdrawing means ineffective, and means controlled by the whole number amount keys for restoring the detaining means to efiective position.

WALTER. A. ANDERSON. 

